Corporate Strategy Institute Manufacturing Case Studies

Construction Company

This company is a privately owned, 40+ year old recognized leader in real estate development with a focus on apartment communities, senior living communities (both independent and assisted living) and single homes communities where people can live, work and play. They began experiencing increased competition and a slowing economy and turned to Corporate Strategy Institute and the Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) to determine if they could make their red ocean a little less bloody. Their interest in applying the BOS tools was in creatively thinking about how they can better serve the boomers and seniors. The initial BOS session resulted in several new ideas that need to be tested in the market.

Beverage Manufacturer ($600MM)

A 90+ year-old federated cooperative of Florida Citrus Farmers was facing strong competition from Brazilian companies and a threat of the tariff on foreign fruit imports being lifted by our federal government. In addition, the introduction of the Atkins’ diet resulted in a dramatic reduction in the demand for citrus products. Add to that a bumper crop of citrus in Florida, and prices are hitting all time industry lows. The Board of Directors hired Corporate Strategy Institute to lead the thought processes and help develop the Guiding Light Corporate Strategy that would increase the returns to the growers and ensure a healthy company during these difficult times. The Board recently adopted this strategy and the implementation phase will begin in the Fall.

Special Machinery Manufacturer

A multibillion-dollar company based in Germany contacted CSI regarding finding new uses and new customers for their current products, which are typically installed in assembly lines. We designed a series of assigned activities and interactive sessions with company representatives. Fifty representatives from the US and Germany convened to participate in the creative thinking processes and the results excited everyone. We were able to help them identify new uses and new customers for their products that would increase revenues and profits by many millions of dollars. These outcomes were then integrated into the company’s strategic action plans.

A $250MM Midwestern machinery manufacturer doing business internationally was facing a devastating downward spiral due to strong competition in Europe. The strength of the dollar and manufacturing inflexibility contributed to this company not being competitive. The business they were able to secure was at very low profit. We were involved in three areas: Restructuring the company into a matrix structure to become truly global rather than just international, formulating a Global Corporate Strategy, and propagating the strategy through the nine divisions defined in the new structure. Other issues addressed in the strategy development and strategic analysis process were: cost reduction including rework and time to market, increasing sales by developing a global presence and brand, and executive team relationships and harmony among the divisions, primarily manufacturing, engineering and operations. Succession and a lack of experience in middle management were issues in all divisions. We led the development of a strategy and plan to double the size of the company in 5 years while maintaining a respectable profit.

Robotics Company

A robotics division of a Fortune 500 company was struggling with strategy development even though they have grown 5 times over the last 5 years. While they weren’t married to the Blue Ocean Strategic Planning Process, they wanted to utilize the tools to see if we could take the thinking farther than in previous processes with other consultants. At this point we have conducted the basic initial sessions and look forward to the application of the Blue Ocean Tools in all areas of their business from products to services and operations.

Electromechanical Products Manufacturer

Quality and on time delivery were challenges for this ($300MM) global leader. We worked with them to develop their strategic plan covering 10 years and action plans covering two years. Other issues were the sharing and integrating of knowledge among the divisions. This project was unique because the CEO and executive team wanted to attend the strategic analysis sessions of all the divisions, but the time commitment needed to do the planning sessions for each of the divisions one at a time would have been outrageous. We designed a process that resembled a spoke and wheel method whereby, after completing the corporate strategy planning process, we conducted all the division planning processes at the same time. With a consultant assigned to each division, the processes proceeded with the CEO and executive team able to monitor and stay abreast of the progress in the individual planning processes.

Corporate Strategy Institute Services Case Studies

IT Management Services Company

provides high end technical and management services in Information Technology to Federal government clients, primarily in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Their services are acquired by the government through contracts that range from 1-5 years. These contracts are recompeted after the designated period of performance and competitors are given an opportunity to present proposals to provide the services. The best proposal wins and the cycle starts all over again. Hopefully, if you are the incumbent company, you retain your work. They utilized Blue Ocean Strategy tools to determine how to create a blue ocean within their world of bids.

Airport Hotel

This property is part of a major hotel chain with facilities world wide. The general manager of this property contacted CSI after reading about our involvement with Blue Ocean Strategy and wanted to see if their facility could be more than it is. Translation, they wanted to grow their business by about 19% in the next fiscal year. They seemed stuck in the rut of being an airport facility with many competitors from which the traveler can chose. The first session resulted in a question from this consultant regarding having the right people in the right jobs. While the employees seemed well intentioned, they did not seem to want to embrace the change that would be necessary to take a basically dull airport hotel and turn it into something more. The next BOS step for this general manager is to determine what people will enhance a move in a new direction and which will stall it, make the necessary adjustments and then go to the next step in the Blue Ocean Strategy process.

Telecommunications Company

Multibillion-dollar Telecommunications Company wanted to improve the quality of their customer service and increase their value to customers. CSI monitored incoming calls to their call centers, met with teams of customer service representatives and based on analysis and feedback presented programs on customer service to all levels of the company.

Public Education

A public high school was at the bottom of the academic rankings in their county. CSI worked with faculty and staff to design a new strategy and strategic plan to increase the options to the students and better prepare them for their future after high school, whether that future was to work, to a two year school, to a four year school or to a professional degree such as medicine or law.

Credit Card Processor

A Midwestern credit card processor had missed its opportunity to be sold to a large player in the market. Dr. Layton was invited to sit on the Board of Directors and in that position helped divest the company of one of its divisions, selling it to a group of employees and ultimately was able to sell the remaining company to a large financial services organization that wanted to expand its credit card processing division.

Healthcare

A large Ivy League medical school hospital in the Northeast wanted to reduce the number of customer complaints received from all stakeholders, both internal and external. CSI developed a program, delivered in retreat format, which helped identify the sources of discontent, developed a plan for addressing the discontent and built rapport among the team leaders, helping them develop positive ways to resolve controversy and improve communication.

Trucking Company

A multibillion-dollar trucking delivery company wanted to improve their sales revenues through better territory planning for the sales representatives. CSI designed a program that the representatives could follow that would keep them on track to achieve their objectives and surpass quotas.

Financial Services

A Midwestern financial services company was struggling with whether to grow, and how to do so without over extending the owners. CSI worked with the owners to help develop Personal Strategic Plans. We then worked with the organization, helping the company develop a Corporate Strategic Plan that included identifying which expertise was necessary to relieve the owners. Through better utilization of the talent already available, and the hiring of talent not available in the company, the result was that the owners were able to earn 17% more money while working 25% less. The company is on track to move successfully into the future.

Management Consulting Company

A strategic management-consulting firm in the Northeast was struggling with the strategy for its own company. Dr. Layton was brought in as an outside strategy consultant leading the company through a Corporate Strategic Planning process that involved the final exit of all of the partners.

Training Company

A division of a multibillion-dollar services company needed an expert on Customer Service to make presentations to their best clients. We designed a high level presentation and, with the sponsorship of this company and a major business magazine, made presentations to over a hundred Chambers of Commerce’s throughout the country.